As I was pondering Ward's venture into his system theory conference this weekend, I was wondering if there might be three primary characteristics of complex systems.
* Patterns * Contextual * Holonic
*Patterns* That is, these systems are pattern-based, with interconnected nodes that are dynamically energized through those connections.
*Contextual* There is no single point of view of a complex system, all patterns are contextual. They can only be seen based on a singular view within that pattern that changes based upon location and time.
*Holonic* The systems are comprised of components that have singular integrity, a wholeness, but co-exist because of their relationship to other elements in the system, forming a holarchy.